Class Notes

J. Gary Rankin (’71 B.S., Mechanical Engineering) retired in January 2020 after 50 years in the aerospace industry. He worked seven years at LTV Missiles and Space Corporation before joining the NASA-Johnson Space Center for the next 43. During his career, he supported development and operations of spacecraft equipment for active thermal control, environmental control, and extra-vehicular activity for programs including Apollo, Skylab, the space shuttle, and the International Space Station (ISS). He was principal investigator for several space shuttle flight experiments and engineering manager for the active thermal control system of the ISS for 19 years.

Lloyd “Loi” D. Khuc (’80 B.S., Electrical Engineering) retired in November 2020 after 16 years with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey. There, he developed and designed fuses for bunker defeat munitions, 120mm advanced multi-purpose tank munitions, and others. He received the Army’s Research and Development Achievement Award for technical excellence in 2010 and was granted six patents over the years.

Roger A. Krone (’81 M.S., Aerospace Engineering) was named to the board of directors for Lear Corp. He is CEO of Leidos, a Fortune 500 information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader. In 2017, he was named a UTA Distinguished Alumnus.

Shameem “Rumi” Hasán (’86 M.S., Industrial Engineering) earned a Ph.D. in technology management from the Business School at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland. He is a technology manager at Bank of America’s e-commerce division.

Nikola Olić (’01 B.S., Computer Science Engineering) showed his photography exhibition, Structural Harmonies: Geometric Structures in Drawings, Prints, and Photography, from May to July 2021 at the Museum of Geometric and MADI Art in Dallas.

Jason Hurst (’05 M.S., Engineering Management) is vice president of innovation at Bell Flight. He will oversee the Nexus aircraft, an air taxi, and the Autonomous Pod Transport. He has worked at Bell Flight for 19 years.

Rachel Ickert (’03 M.S., Civil Engineering) was selected by the Texas Water Development Board to serve on a regional planning group that will work on a flood-control blueprint for the Trinity River basin, which stretches from North Texas to near the Gulf Coast. Due to be completed in January 2023, the project is part of the state’s inaugural flood plan. Ickert is the Tarrant Regional Water District’s water resource engineering director.

John Shaver (’09 B.S., Mechanical Engineering) was named a 2020 Rising Star by Civil and Structural Engineer Magazine. The publication said Shaver’s rise is due to “his ability to lead other engineers and quickly adapt to the changing needs of clients.” Shaver is a project manager in the LJA Engineering Energy sector.